Locomotive-bell ringer



s. H. HBGINBOTTOM. LOCOMOTIVE BELL RINGER.

(No Model.)

No. 583,473. Patented June 1, 1897.

1o uuuuuuuuuu INVENTOR WITNESSES M. wm. M W @V PATENT f trice.

SAMUEL H. IIEGINBOTTOM, OF SAGINAl/V, MICHIGAN.

LOCOMOTIVE-BELL RINGER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 583,473, dated June 1,1897.

Application filed September 25, 1896. Serial No. 607,008. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that 1, SAMUEL H. HEGINBOT- TOM, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Saginaw, in the county of Saginaw and State ofMichigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inLocomotive-Bell Ringers; and I do declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to theletters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part ofthis specification.

My invention relates to devices for ringing locomotive-bells, and is animprovement upon Letters Patent granted to me November 11, 1890, No.440,264, and has the objects therein mentioned and the further objectsof, first, providing adjustable means for connecting the ringing deviceto the bell-frame; second, theimproved connecting-rod in which there isless wear upon the parts, and third, the construction and arrangement ofthe valve devices within the cylinder so as to be automatically adjustedto take up the wear of the parts, as will hereinafter appear; and itconsists, further, in the arrangement, combination, and construction ofthe several elements hereinafter described, and specifically set forthin the claims.

Figure 1 is a side elevation; Fig. 2, a vertical section of the cylinderwith the piston and parts in the position when the bell is at rest. Fig.3 is a detail in elevation of the parts broken'away. Fig. 4 is a detailof the compensating piece 5. Fig. 5 is a detail of the ring-valve. Fig.6 is a side elevation of the device, showing the attachment to thebell-frame.

In the drawings, 1 is a piston-rod passing into the cylinder 2 andhaving within the cylinder upon its inner end the nut 8, fitting thechamber 2 in the end of the cylinder and held from turning upon thepiston by the square shoulder 8', tting a socket 14 in the wall of thechamber 2'.

3 is the cylinder-cap nut, having the port 12 entering into thecylinder-chamber, as will hereinafter appear.

4 is the piston-head and is loose upon the piston-rod, the rod having abeveled shoulder 1 fitting the seat in the pistonhead.

9 is au inlet-port which may be connected to the air-brake reservoir,and 10 anexhaustport.

11 is a ring-valve similar to that described in my Letters Patentreferred to, and it fits snugly against the wall of the chamber and hasa transverse opening 1l upon one side, which is filled by the dependingprojection 5 of the regulating or compensating piece 5 within thecylinder and just above the ring 1l. This piece 5 takes the place of thepin s' of the abovementioned Letters Patent, the compensating piece 5answering the same purpose as the regulating-piece T of the said patent,and differs in construction in that it (5) is of the size of thecylinder-chamber with a central opening instead of being smaller thanthe chamber with an opening surrounding it.

Between the bottom nut 8 and the ringvalve is the washer 7, of the sizeof the cylinder, being loose upon the piston-rod. Its use willhereinafter appear.

6 6 are fiat springs near the inner end of lthe piston-rod which extendalong the pistonrod to engage the compensating piece 5, their functionbeing to hold the piece 5 in position.

18 is a packing-nut at the top of the cylinder, but requires no packinguntil the valve and piston ring becomes so loose as to allow the pistonto fall by its own weight and make unnecessary strokes during theswinging of the bell.

. 24 is the connecting-rod, and is connected to the crank 27 of the bellby the pin 2G, and has a guideway 25, through which passes loosely theupper end of the supplemental connecting-rod 21. The connecting-rod 24is not connected at its lower end to the pistonrod, but is just longenough to engage the upper end of the piston-rod when the bell is atrest or passing its lower stroke, as shown in Fig. l, its lower endbeing provided with a nut-cap 29 and lock-nut 30, the lower end of thecap-nut being rounded to engage the rounded end of the piston-rod. It isobvious that by loosening the nut-lock the length of this connecting-rodmay be adj usted by means of the cap-nut.

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The supplemental connecting-rod 21 is connected bythe yoke 2O to thepiston -rod 1 by the pivot 20.

22 is the connecting-rod guide, adapted to be rigidly secured to thesupplemental rod 21 by the set-screw 23 at the desired height, theconnecting-rod 24 passing loosely through the guideway 28, whereby it isheld in alinement with the supplemental rod 21 as it passes to engagethe top of the piston-rod as the bellcrank descends to its shorteststroke.

17 is a hanger secured to a yoke 1S of the bell-frame by the staple-n ut19 passing around the yoke and through the eyes at the Lipper end of thehanger, whereby the hanger may be rigidly secured in avertical positionto the bell-frame, and to this hanger I secure the cylinder 2. It isobvious that this hanger may be secured to any make of a bell-frame, andthe means for securing the cylinder to the hanger are such that thecylinder maybe adjusted up and down in the hanger and regulated at theheight desired. This means consists of guideways 15 upon the back of thecylinder,which slide upon the hanger and are secured thereto byset-screws 1G, which pass through guideways and engage the edge of thehanger 17. ln order to prevent lthe cylinder-cap 3 from unscrewin g, asit is liable to do, I provide upon the circumference of the cap severalgrooves, as 3', and upon the hanger a central rib 17', adapted to engageone of these grooves as the cylinder is placed in position upon thehanger, and this means prevents the cap from turning or being turneduntil the cylinder is detached from the hanger.

The operation of the ringer is as follows: When air or steam is admittedinto the inletport 9, it causes the piston to rise to the top of thecylinder, and as the piston nears the end of its stroke the nut S comesin contact with the washer 7, which lifts the .ring-valve 11, closingthe inlet-port 9 and opening the exhaust-port 10,which, it will beobserved, is just above the lower edge of the ring-Valve 11, and themoving of the ring-valve upward to iill the inlet-port 9 opens theexhaust-port 10. The piston remains in this position-via at the top ofthe cylinderuntil the return oi' the bell-crank, whereby the piston ispushed down to the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

As the piston-rod is raised by the air entering the cylinder, asdescribed, it pushes the connecting-rod 24 upward, and thereby rings thebell. This action gives the bell a momentum which carries it upwardafter the piston has reached its upper throw, and thereby draws theconnectingerod 24.- away from the end of the piston-rod. As theair-pressure increases in the cylinder the piston is given a greaterimpetus, and the bell consequently receives a greater momentum and isdrawn farther upward,dr awing the connectingpiece through the guide 28until the nut 30 may reach the guide, in which position the strain willbe thrown upon the supplemental rod 21,

which will draw the pistolrrod farther up, and also check the movementof the bell. l

The regulating and compensating piece 5, which is held by the two [iatsprings (i to the rod, automatically prevents the bell fromrevolving-viz., when the supplemental rod 21 pulls on the piston-rod itdraws the pistonrod through the chamber and thereby shoves the springs G6 farther on the compensating piece 5. These springs being very strong,the movement creates a great deal of friction, which checks the momentumof the bell. As the bell descends from its upper stroke the end of theconnecting-rod 24 will engage the end of the piston-rod, pushing thepiston down until the ring 11 has dropped below the inlet-port 9, whenthe air will be admitted to the chamber. The exhaust-port being closed,the air will form a cushion in the chamber to resist the downwardmovement of the bell until it has passed its center, when the air willimmediately raise the piston and send the bell upon its upward stroke tobe again checked, as described. As the bell in the former instancedescends to its lower stroke it is obvious that the piston-rod 1 must bepushed down into the cylinder to its original position. This action alsoserves to check the descending momentum of the bell, as the forcerequired to push the spring 6 6 down ward on the compensating piece 5will be as great as that required to pull them upward. It will beobserved, however, that the springs G are not pushed down on theregulatingpiece 5 until after the port is open and the air-cushionformed. Consequently this part 5 regulates automatically the swinging ofthe valve and prevents it from revolving. It also compensates for thewear of the parts, both the wear on the crank-pin 2G and the wear on theend of the connecting-rod 2i on the end of the piston 1, for it isobvious that if the length of the connectingerod is diminished the piece5 will not move a great distance on the spring G, as before, and therefore the port opening does not diminish through wear of the parts.

It is obvious that by the arrangement of the connecting-rod andsupplemental rod as de scribed there is less strain and consequent wearupon the connecting-pin 21. The port 12 is for the passage of air fromthe upper end of the cylinder, as the piston-head is forced upward bythe inlet of the air into the piston-chamber.

l-Iaving thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a bell-ringer, the connection between thebell-crank andpiston-rod, comprising a connecting-rod secured to the wrist-pin of thebell-crank and having a laterally-extending part having a guideway, asupplemental rod pivoted to the piston e rod and extending through theguideway on the connecting-rod, and a movable guidcway on thesupplemental IOO IIO

rod through which the lower part of the connecting-rod passes, wherebywhen the parts are arranged as described the connecting-rod will bearagainst the piston-rod when passing its lower center and be drawn awayfrom it While on its upper stroke.

2. In a bell-ringer, the combination with the bell-crank, aconnecting-rod pivoted to the crank, a guideway on the upper end of theconnecting-rod, an adjustable cap-nut on the lower end of theconnecting-rod and adapted to bear on the end of the piston-rod whilethe crank is passing its lowest center, of the piston-rod and asupplemental rod pivoted to the piston-rod and passing through theguideway on the connecting-rod, and a guideway for the lower end of theconnecting-rod adjustably secured to the supplemental rod, whereby thestrain of ringing the bell will loe taken from the crank-pin anddistributed, as specified.

3. A device for ringing a locomotive-bell, comprising a connecting-rodpivoted to the bell-crank and having a guideway upon one side thereof, asupplemental rod pivoted to the piston-rod and extending through thesaid guideway, a guideway for the connecting-rod adj ustably secured tothe supplemental rod, whereby each may move independently of the other acertain distance, a cap-nut on the end of the connecting-rod adapted tobe engaged by the end of the piston-rod, a cylinder carrying the pistonand the piston-rod and having inlet and outlet ports and 'a valve forcovering one of the ports. at a time, means for moving the valve as thepiston passes to its upper stroke and close the inlet-port, and meansfor checking the momentum of the bell imparted by the piston passing toits upperstroke, comprising the piston-rod adapted to be drawn by themomentum of the bell a certain distance through the piston, and meanswithin the cylinder below the pistonhead for resisting this movement ofthe piston-rod, as specified.

4. In a device for ringing bells, means for checking the momentumimparted to the bell by the piston on its upper stroke, comprising apiston-rod adapted to be drawn through the piston a limited distance,springs upon the piston-rod within the piston, a piece within thechamber and abutting the piston-head when on its upper stroke, andagainst which piece the said springs bear as the piston-rod is drawnoutward, thereby checking the bell and preventing its revolving, asspecified.

5. In alocomotive-bell ringer, means for adjustably attaching thecylinder to the bellframe, comprising a hanger adapted to be clamped tothe yoke of the bell-frame in a vertical position, guideways on thecylinder itting and traveling on the hanger, and adapted to be securedthereto'by a set-screw.

6. In a locomotive-bell ringer, means for adjusting the ringercomprising a hanger adapted to be clamped to a yoke of the bell-frame,the cylinder having means for adj ustably engagin g the hanger, wherebyas the connectingrod is shortened by Wear the cylinder may be raised onthe hanger, a cap-nut on the end of the connecting-rod whereby thelength of the connecting-rod may be varied, and the compensating piece 5in the piston, and the springs 6 on the piston-rod, all adjusted andoperated substantially as specified.

7. In a locomotive-bell ringer, means for attaching the cylinder to thebell-frame oomprising a hanger adapted to be secured to a yoke of thebell-frame, and means for adjustably securing the cylinder to thehanger, and means for preventing the cylinder-cap from unscrewingcomprising a vertical rib on the hanger ttin g in a groove in thecylinder-cap, as specified.

8. In a device for ringing bells, means for checking the momentumimparted to the bell by the piston passing to its upper strokecomprising a friction-regulating piece within the cylinder below thepiston-head and through which the piston-rod passes, and resisting to alimited degree by causing friction, the movement of the piston-rodthrough the regulatingpiece, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiX my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

SAMUEL H. HEGINBOTTOM. lVitnesses:

A. H. SWARTHOUT, FANNIE RoBBINs.

